Manny Pacquiao News: Boxer Won't Budge An Inch On His Same-Sex Marriage Beliefs
Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is not caving in to criticisms after making a controversial statement in an interview where he described those who practice same-sex marriage as worse than animals. Despite risking his chances of securing a seat at the Philippine senate in the country's upcoming national elections this May and losing a multimillion dollar endorsement deal, Pacquiao maintains that his pronouncements only echoes what's written in the Bible.
"It's common sense. Do you see animals mating with the same sex? Animals are better because they can distinguish male from female," Pacquiao said in Filipino during his interview with local broadcasting network TV-5 after he was asked what his stand on same-sex marriage is.
Pacquiao is currently an elected congressman of Sarangani Province in the Philippines and is seeking a senate seat in the upcoming May 9 Philippine national elections.
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The formerly Catholic Pacquiao was converted to an evangelical Protestant a few years back and has become very vocal about his new faith and active in Bible studies and prayer meetings.
Not long after making the controversial statement that turned him into an antihero from being a hero, not only in the LGBT community but also to some of his other countrymen who took offense in his statement, the boxing great and his public relations team posted a video of him on social media apologizing for his choice of words. While he admitted that drawing a comparison between humans and animals was wrong, he said that he is standing firm on his belief against same-sex marriage.
As if the hate and the criticisms Pacquiao is now getting for the controversial statement were not enough, the boxer got another big blow when Nike announced that it was terminating Pacquiao's endorsement deals, saying that the brand does not tolerate all forms of discrimination.
After the announcement of Nike dropping him as an endorser, the boxing champion posted on his social media account Bible verses that condemn homosexuality. While he took down the post two hours later, Philippine broadcasting giant ABS-CBN was able to capture it on a screenshot.
When asked to comment on his long-time global sponsor dropping him, Pacquiao said that he respects the brand's decision.
On a video posted by the New York Times, the boxer said that despite the situation that he got himself into, he is actually happier because he has made more people aware of the Biblical truth about homosexuality, stressing that he is not against homosexuals, only their acts.
